Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1887-02-19

Electricity viii be a Main Factor I'm
saving Quicksflver Hereafter.

Electricity viii be a Main Factor I'm
saving Quicksilver Hereafter.
From the interest taken in the matter, il
is obvious that many are anxious to know
all about the experiment which has been
made by DR.. Rae, at the mill Of J. M. Doug.
lass & Co., in the use Of electricity. for the
purpose Of saving Toured quicksilver and
amalgam which has been poured in a steady
stream into the Carson river for the last
quarter Of a century or more. At the risk
purpose Of giving all the information to be
had, TO the public, we to-day propose to
give detailed account Of the experiment,
from the date Of its first practical applica-
ton. After Mr.. Rulison, Superintendent OF
the Douglass mill. had prepared the mill,
| by taking all the pans and settlers to be
used in the experiment to pieces, and thor.
oughly cleaned and replaced them, they
we're connected with the dynamo. and the
investigations were begun on the 9Th Of the
present month. All who have been present
at any time during the test bear testimony
that the utmost precaution has been taken
In order that no mistakes might be made or
false results obtained. Settlers No. !, ana
3 were connected with the Rae system, and
settler No. 4 was run after the manner in
which the settlers in the mill had been opcr.
ated for the last few years. The quicksilver
for the different pans was carefully weighed
and kept strictly separate. The balance Of
The mill not needed for the experiment was
closed down, in order to prevent any chance
for mistakes, and the entire attention of the
mill men given to these four pans and set.
tiers. During the first two days No. 1 pan
was run on ''green shines" and "slums" in
order to test the action Of the electricity on
that class Of tailings. After that all the
pans were run ON the same kind of material
was FIRST discharged into the settlers, and
again at the the time Of drawing the settlers
of. These assays show a reduction in the
valu: Of the pulp, when run out of the mill,
of between thirty and forty per cent. in ia
vor OF the settlers connected with the cleo .
lric machine. Repeated tests and paintings
of the settlers exhibited the fact that the
Toured quicksilver in the settlers treated
with electricity was reduced much more
rapidly and efleciualiy than in that which
was not so connected. The quicksilver re-
tuned by the settlers acted upon by cleo.
tricity was bright, clear and healthy, con-
dilion which all mill men recognize as CAL
culated to increase amalgamation in the
pans. After running ffty-tw tons Of tail.
ings through The three pans that were con.
necied with the electricity, and seventeen
tons through the pan worked on the old
principle, the mill was stopped, and a
thorough clean up made, the same as at the
commencement Of the trial, thus making a
rigid and exhaustive test. Upon weighing
the quicksilver back, it was found that all
three Of the pans run in connection with
the electricity, using I,662 pounds of quick
silver, had lost less quicksilver than the one
pan run in the old way, using 600 pounds Of
quicksilver; or, the electric pans have saved
between seventy and eighty five per cent.
Of The quicksilver usually lost, and increas.
ed the bullion returns about thirty. three per
cent. Another noticeable fact is that the
bullion returned is much finer than by the
old process, estimated at about so per cent.
The pans were run in the usual way, with
the usual chemicals. the only change made
being that of applying the electricity 10 the
settlers. These are the figures and facts as
near as it is possible TO give them at pres.
ent, the exact results cannot be had until
after the bullion has been melted. The ex-
pertinent has been made under the immedi.
ate direction OF DR.. Rae and the strict su.
pervision Of w. A. Rulison, Superintendent
Of the mill. Altogether the test has been
the most critical, and the foregoing account
will be vouched for by either Of the above
named gentlemen.